More than 30 million people in the US suffer from hearing loss or vestibular disorders. One in three people older than 60 and one in two people older than 85 have some degree of age-related hearing loss (ARHL). With increased life expectancy, more people from each successive generation will likely suffer from hearing loss. Noise-induced inner ear damage/loss (NIHL) is also a major cause of hearing loss and vestibular disorders, which affects both young and aged populations. The cause of hearing loss, in particular age-related hearing loss (ARHL), is not well understood. As there is presently no effective treatment for hearing loss, hearing loss is a debilitating disorder causing heavy burden for individuals as well as the society.
Mutations in osteoprotegerin (OPG) are linked to juvenile Paget's disease (Whyte, M. P. et al. New Eng J Med. 2002; 347:175-184; Daroszewska A, Ralston S H. Nat Clin Pract Rheumatol. 2006; 2:270-277), an autosomal recessive osteopathy associated with sensorineural or mixed sensorineural and conductive hearing loss. Mechanisms of sensorineural hearing loss in this devastating disease are elusive.